Marine transportation is the lowest contributor per ton to greenhouse gas emissions. Customers today are more conscious of the environment and may choose to include marine shipping in their plans rather than relying strictly on ground transportation in order to be more energy efficient and reduce the negative effects of greenhouse gases on the environment. Marine transportation also contributes to less road wear and tear and is proven to be a cheaper alternative to road transport.
For several years, attempts have been made to address challenges related to increasing vessels capacity and the needs of clients wishing to use a marine service to transport cargo that would traditionally be carried on flat bed road trailers. This cargo includes, among others, construction materials, recyclable materials (e.g., crushed cars), project cargo and other specialized freight, including cargo associated with the oil and mining industries. Generally, this cargo cannot be containerized, and therefore has historically been shipped via flat bed trailers.
The present invention addresses these challenges.